Coin magazine

ABSTRACT

A coin magazine comprises an annular chamber defined between a fixed outer cylindrical wall and an helical track cut in a fixed coaxial inner cylinder. A rotatable coaxial end flange has regularly spaced fingers extending through said chamber parallel to and equally spaced from the common axis. Pusher means operating in synchronization with rotation of the flange introduce coins into the chamber through a slot in said wall to a position between pairs of adjacent fingers which serve to propel the coins along the track. By rotating the flange in the opposite direction, coins in the chamber are restituted via said slot.

[ Dec. 18, 1973 COIN MAGAZINE [75] Inventor: Claude Wenger, Geneva,

Switzerland [73] Assignee: Sodeca Societe des Compteurs de Geneve S.A., Geneva, Switzerland [22] Filed: Aug. 19, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 173,214

[30} Foreign Application Priority Data Aug, 24, 1970 Switzerland 12602/70 [52] US. Cl. 133/5 R, 133/1 R, 221/76 [51] Int. Cl. G07d l/00 [58] Field of Search 133/1 R, 2, 4 R, 133/5 R, 3 R, 8 R; 221/76, 79

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,625,979 4/1927 Brinkerhoff 133/5 R Meloni 133/2 Jorgensen 133/8 R Primary ExaminerRobert B. Reeves Assistant ExaminerFrancis J. Bartuska ArmrneyRobert E. Burns et a1.

1 5 7] ABSTRACT A coin magazine comprises an annular chamber defined between a fixed outer cylindrical wall and an helical track cut in a fixed coaxial inner cylinder. A rotatable coaxial end flange has regularly spaced fingers extending through said chamber parallel to and equally spaced from the common axis. Pusher means operating in synchronization with rotation of the flange introduce coins into the chamber through a slot in said wall to a position between pairs of adjacent fingers which serve to propel the coins along the track. By rotating the flange in the opposite direction, coins in the chamber are restituted via said slot.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED Bin 18 m5 SHEET 2 BF 2 com MAGAZINE Automatic distribution apparatus generally comprise several circuits for conveyance and storing of coins, each circuit being adapted to a given type of coin. Each one of these circuits must carry out the functions of identification of the coin introduced, and restitution or storage of the coin. The restitution or return of coins may be required for various reasons such as the rejection of an imperfect coin, the cancellation of an order, or the return of change.

So as to carry out these different functions, known circuits generally comprise an intermediate coin magazine called the recycling magazine enabling the coins either to be directed towards a principal coin magazine, or to be returned. The relatively small capacity of currently used recycling coin magazines necessitates the use of another separate coin magazine called the restitution magazine which carries out the restitution of coins when the recycling magazine is empty.

Currently used recycling coin magazines are generally formed by a vertical cylindrical body in which horizontally disposed coins are piled, and having at its lower part a horizontal pusher which pushes out coins to be returned one by one. However, such devices have multiple drawbacks, for example a reduced capacity necessitating the presence of a restitution magazine and the intervention of a workman for periodically filling the restitution magazine, the risk of jamming of a coin in the cylindrical body due to an oblique or other incorrect positioning of a coin; considerable friction is involved during ejection of the lower coin under the action of the pusher; and it is impossible to return or restitute a coin which has just been introduced into the circuit, which coin is placed on top of the pile in the recycling magazine, the latter drawback implying the risk of introduction of fake coins and the restitution of valid coins.

It has also been proposed, for example in US. Pat. No. 1,625,979, to provide a helically arranged coin magazine to increase the coin capacity, but the arrangement proposed is both clumsy and costly.

It is an aim of the invention to provide an improved coin magazine with a large coin capacity.

According to a main aspect of the invention, there is provided a coin magazine comprising a chamber defined between a fixed cylindrical wall and a helical track in a fixed coaxial cylinder facing said cylindrical wall, a coaxial flange rotatably mounted about the common axis and carrying a plurality of regularly spaced fingers extending through said chamber parallel to and equally spaced from said axis, a slot and delivering means for delivering coins one by one via said slot to said 'helical track in said chamber, said delivering 5 means being servo-controlled to operate when the angular position of said flange corresponds to delivery of a coin to a position between a pair of adjacent fingers, said fingers forming means for propelling coins in said chamber along said helical track.

An embodiment of a coin magazine according to the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the coin-magazine;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the coin magazine;

end 15, and an end flange 8 rotatably mounted about the common axis of the cylindrical wall 7 and cylinder 9. The inner cylinder 9 comprises a central sleeve 40 having threaded bores by means of which it can be fixed onto a flange (not shown) of a central axle, only a part 41 of which is shown. The entire assembly forming the chamber 6 is solidly bolted to a support plate 11 by means of a threaded part of axle 41.

The flange 8 carries twelve equi-spaced fingers 17 extending through the chamber 6 parallel to and equally spaced apart from the common central axis. The outer periphery of the flange 8 has twleve regularly arranged projections 18 forming cam surfaces corresponding to the fingers 17, for a purpose which will be described in detail further on.

The cylindrical wall 7 has two slots 12, 13 situated in a lower part of the wall 7 and respectively adjacent to the ends 15 and 14 of the track 16.

A coin chute 1, 2 is situated in the proximity of the magazine and has a window 3 for the delivery of coins 5 from the coin chute to the chamber 6 via the slot 13, or from the chamber 6 via the slot 13 to the coin chute l, 2, a pusher 4 being provided for these purposes.

A roller 19 carried by a lever 20 bears against the cam surfaces formed by projections 18. The lever 20 forms an element of an articulated lever assembly 20-21-22 of which levers 20 and 22 are pivotally mounted about fixed axes 23 and 24 on the plate 11. The intermediate lever 21 is pivotally mounted at one end to an outer part of the pusher 4, at its other end to the lever 20, and at its centre to the lever 22. The pusher 4 is guided in a slot 25 in the coin chute 1,2 so as to be able to slide along a radial direction passing through the common central axis of the chamber assembly. When the flange 8 rotates, the roller 19 bearing on the cam surfaces of projections 18 causes a reciprocation of the pusher 4 in said radial direction in synchronization with rotation of the flange 8. For rotation of the flange 8 in the clockwise direction, looking at FIG. 1, the pushing end 26 of the pusher 4 is in a re tracted position (as shown) when a finger 17 is facing the slot 13, and moves to an advanced position adjacent the window 3 when the roller 19 is located at the summit of a projection 18 and a space between two adjacent fingers 17 faces the slot 13. For rotation of the flange 8 in the counter-clockwise direction, looking at FIG. 1, the sequence of movement of the pusher is the same, but with a slight dephasing due to the spacing between adjacent projections 18. When the pusher 4 is in the advanced position, an edge 27 thereof serves to stop coins in the upper part 1 of the coin chute.

A coin stop member 28, shown in FIG. 3, is provided in the lower part 2 of the coin chute downstream of the pusher 4. The stop member 28 comprises a spring part fixed at one end to the coin chute and having bent over end 33, and can be deformed to push the end 33 through an aperture 34 in the coin chute 1 by means of a lever 39 pivotally mounted about an axis 29. The lever 39 is pivotally connected to a core 31 of an electromagnet 32 excitation of which causes raising of the lever 39 and deformation of the stop member 28 to place the end 33 in the coin chute 1, 2 to block the pas-1.

sage for coins. A device, for example an automatic distributing machine, in conjunction with which the described coin magazine is used, comprises a coin identification device (not shown) which checks the authenticity of coins before delivering them to the coin chute l, 2. This identification device also controls the electromagnet 32 of coin stop 28 according to whether or not a coin is acceptable. This identification device also preferably controls motor means for driving the flange 8. In operation, when a coin 5 is introduced into the distributing machine, it is firstly checked for authenticity. If the coin is unacceptable, the electromagnet 32 is not actuated, and the coin is delivered to and directly restituted via the coin chute 1, 2. For an acceptable coin, the electromagnet 32 is actuated so that when the coin drops down the chute 1 it is held by means of the stop 28. Simultaneously, the flange 8 is rotated in the clockwise direction (looking at FIG. 1), and the coin is pushed through the window 3 and slot 13 by means of the pusher 4 as a pair of adjacent fingers 17 come into a coin-receiving position so that the coin is pushed into the chamber 6 in engagement with the end 14 of the helical track 16. The flat on the top of each projection 18 ensures that the coin cannot unwantedly fall back out through the slot 13, when the pusher 4 retracts during continued rotation of the flange 8. When several coins are introduced into the coin chute, subsequent coins are held on the surface 27 of pusher 4 during insertion of the first coin, each coin in turn dropping down on to the stop 28 when the pusher 4 retracts and being inserted between the next pair of adjacent fingers 17 as the flange 8 rotates.

Each coin in the chamber 6 is held between a pair of adjacent fingers 17 and between the cylindrical wall 7 and the helical track 16, the fingers 17 serving as means for propelling the coins along the track. It is thus possible to fill all of the coin compartments defined by the fingers 17 in the magazine. For a magazine, as shown, with ten complete spirals in the track 16 and twelve fingers 17, the capacity of the magazine is 120 coins. When the magazine is full, the coins arrive at the end 15 of the helical track 16 and fall one by one through the slot 12 into, for example, a principal coin magazine of the distributing device.

The operation of restituting coins, for example to give change, can be effected by control of the motor means to rotate the flange 8 in the counterclockwise direction (looking at FIG. 1) and with the stop 28 in the open position. In this case, the pusher 4 retracts as a pair of fingers 17 come into a coin delivering position in relation to the slot 13, so that coins drop one by one out of slot 13 and through the coin chute 2.

What is claimed is:

1. A coin magazine for storing coins comprising: a tubular member having means defining an inlet opening therein and an outlet opening axially spaced therefrom; a storage member coaxially disposed in said tubular member and having a longitudinal axis and means therearound defining a helical storage track for storing therein coins in a position wherein the major faces of the coins are substantially in planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said storage member, said track providing a path helical about the longitudinal axis for coins to move therealong; delivery means for delivering a coin through said inlet opening and into said track; and means for moving the coins along and relative to said track comprising a plurality of selectively driven angularly spaced-apart elongated members extending generally in a same direction axially of said tubular member from said inlet opening to said outlet opening and drive means to drive said elongated members.

2. A coin magazine according to claim 1: wherein said storage member is a cylindrical member and said helical storage track is a helical track circumferentially of said cylindrical member.

3. A coin magazine according to claim 1, wherein said storage member has a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-section of said tubular member thereby defining a space therebetween; and wherein said drive means of said means for moving a coin along and relative to said track comprises an end of said tubular member rotably mounted thereon, said elongated members being connected to said end for movement therewith and extending axially into said space, said elongated members effecting movement of said coins along said track, and means for reversibly turning said one end of said tubular member driving said elongated members in one direction when a coin is delivered to saidtrack and in an opposite direction for returning a coin through said inlet opening.

4. A coin magazine according to claim 3; wherein said delivery means comprises a coin chute for delivering coins to a position opposite said opening in said tubular member, and pusher means for pushing a coin from said coin chute through said inlet opening and into said track and between successive elongated members said means coacting with said means for turning one end of said tubular members for effecting actuation of said pusher when a coin is disposed in said coin chute in a position opposite said opening in said tubular member. 

1. A coin magazine for storing coins comprising: a tubular member having means defining an inlet opening therein and an outlet opening axially spaced therefrom; a storage member coaxially disposed in said tubular member and having a longitudinal axis and means therearound defining a helical storage track for storing therein coins in a position wherein the major faces of the coins are substantially in planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said storage member, said track providing a path helical about the longitudinal axis for coins to move therealong; delivery means for delivering a coin through said inlet opening and into said track; and means for moving the coins along and relative to said track comprising a plurality of selectively driven angularly spaced-apart elongated members extending generally in a same direction axially of said tubular member from said inlet opening to said outlet opening And drive means to drive said elongated members.
 2. A coin magazine according to claim 1: wherein said storage member is a cylindrical member and said helical storage track is a helical track circumferentially of said cylindrical member.
 3. A coin magazine according to claim 1, wherein said storage member has a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-section of said tubular member thereby defining a space therebetween; and wherein said drive means of said means for moving a coin along and relative to said track comprises an end of said tubular member rotably mounted thereon, said elongated members being connected to said end for movement therewith and extending axially into said space, said elongated members effecting movement of said coins along said track, and means for reversibly turning said one end of said tubular member driving said elongated members in one direction when a coin is delivered to said track and in an opposite direction for returning a coin through said inlet opening.
 4. A coin magazine according to claim 3; wherein said delivery means comprises a coin chute for delivering coins to a position opposite said opening in said tubular member, and pusher means for pushing a coin from said coin chute through said inlet opening and into said track and between successive elongated members said means coacting with said means for turning one end of said tubular members for effecting actuation of said pusher when a coin is disposed in said coin chute in a position opposite said opening in said tubular member. 